Update #1:
The students have been enjoying their time in Puerto Rico! They have appreciated all of the challenges they have faced, and have proven that they are hard workers and that they can come together to accomplish great tasks! On the first day, we made some time to introduce Puerto Rico and discuss it’s history and customs as we made our way through the streets of Old San Juan. Our tour leader Alvin told us about the history of San Juan and we visited historic places such as the Old Cathedral and the Fort El Morro. We experienced a wonderful Puerto Rican lunch in Old San Juan, did a little shopping and then later on we made our way south to our new home in Patillas.
We had some time to settled in at our Eco Resort atop a mountain over looking the ocean and got a good night sleep before our first day of work. Monday morning we visited Thomas and Grace’s house, a site where Global Work’s and San Francisco Day School (SFDS) had worked in previous years. After learning how to mix cement, with full steam ahead, we mixed large loads of it and worked as a team to pass buckets up to the roof where we poured their roof for their new home. We were pouring the roof to the extension of their small one room house because there just isn’t room for them and their child and the new baby on the way. Thomas, the husband, worked hard after GW left last year and built the walls, prepared the electricity, added the bathroom and the supports for the roof. Now thanks to SFDS the family has a roof over their heads.
We took a rewarding dip in the ocean after our day of work and then went back to the Eco Resort for a great dinner thanks to Tyrone’s mom and dad. Tuesday we drove up the mountain to Las Casas de la Selva where we learned about Sustainable Timbering, ways to take timber from the Rainforest. Las Casas has been conducting work and research for years to prove that their ways of extracting tropical hardwoods from the forest does not negatively impact the local species of wildlife, trees, and plants. The students embarked on a long beautiful hike through the tropical forest, down a river bed and through the mountains where they came out the other side tired and ready for dinner.
We were welcomed by a hot meal at home and had a meeting that reflected our past few days. Wednesday will be another day where we help to build part of a community member’s house, starting with the walls. The overall feeling of the group is of accomplishment, and that they are impressed with themselves their hard work. When they reflected they realized that their service work meant so much to the people they were helping. It really sunk in that they were putting a roof over a family’s head so they could raise their new baby, and they felt good about it. While participating in the service activities, student’s felt that their Spanish was improving (beyond the classroom) as they interacted with the families, children in the community and GW leaders.
Today we are off to the new construction site and hopefully a refreshing swim in the river after! Then Salsa lessons tonight!!! Tomorrow we depart to our destination; VIEQUES!!!!
Until next update……..
Emily and Tyrone….
